Messi Leads Inter Miami Into High-Stakes MLS Playoffs

Messi now retired from the Argentinian national team and solely focused on his MLS career to continue shattering records here in the United States. So in Inter Miami, he didn't know, finally clinched a playoff spot after a 2-0 win over New York City Football Club on October 14. This was DePaul scoring after a Messi assist and also Martínez adding that second goal. And Miami actually are the reigning MLS Cup champions. So I think with Messi now being totally focused on the MLS and not the World Cup, not the national team, he's just going to be doing better than ever. Messi still leads the league with 23 goals and 14 assists. The GOAT is GOATing, my friends. It is going to be an interesting playoff scene. In front of them, though, they have a rival that they struggle with. And it will be Panamara Sique va a ser su coco. And that's going to be Nashville, Camila. Nashville is a team that is, it pains me to say, the very, very best in MLS right now. Way better than Miami, way better than LAFC, way better than Vancouver, and all the newcomers that we've seen this season coming back into relevance, like Chicago and San Jose as well, doing very well. But I think that this is going to be a very interesting MLS playoffs with these two teams battling to make it to the first, battling to make it to the conference finals and in the conference final we're gonna that's gonna be a fire of a game without a doubt there's gonna be a fire cracker that game is the most expected game uh and i think nashville has a little bit of edge but it's tough to bet against the coach you're definitely saying nashville at the end because you have Messi, Torres, Depay all producing you know goals and the attack but the question is the defense when it comes about Miami And since then, Miami have conceded 50 goals so far. Mancilla, the new coach, came in September 16th. Yeah, seems to have fixed the attack. But the real test is going to be to see how that defense, you know, can hold against top teams in the MLS. Yeah, it's a tough dilemma. You have a player like Messi. Do you maximize the offensive function of the team, providing him with players around him to maximize his skill? and then you figure out about the defensive end. But also, they have invested so much. Casemiro is a player that has done a lot of effort, but also he's naturally offensive. Although he's a holding midfielder and improves the, let's just say the density of play in the midfield. He improves how compact the team moves out the ball, but he's not quite like a center back, like a world-class center back that will command that area and give Miami that assurance of a player with category in the back, making sure that nothing goes out of control. They don't have that, and they struggle to find it. And that's what they need. Also, beating Nashville for the top seed would be everything for Miami because it gives them home field advantage. That's a massive thing. But the question is, would they already sort of have home field advantage if they go somewhere else? Because you know there's going to be so many people just going, wanting to watch Messi. So I think that's going to be really interesting to see and kind of a little bit of an unfair advantage, if you ask me. Without a doubt. Camila, do you want to see the standings of the MLS? Let's do it. Let's take a look. East Coast, Nashville, like we said, clinching a playoff spot, Inter Miami. And then, like we were saying, these teams, they were out of the picture for a few seasons, but now the OGs are back. new england and chicago in third and fourth place really showing that the turnover in these teams have been impressive especially in Chicago with the harder that he took over as a sporting director and coach and the formula is paying off we have Charlotte not surprising and finally Camila Philadelphia that started with a terrible record at the beginning of the season little by little they've been turning it around and they're in play of contention now Orlando New York Red Bulls and Cincinnati, completing that ninth spot round. And then New York City Football Club. Vamos a top ten, para que no digan. Y abajo de los que quedan ahí, I'm not surprised. DC United have been struggling. Columbus is sad to see them there, but they have been a terrible season since Rossi left, and many of their stars. And Atlanta that has been just putting money out there to no return on investment. In Montreal that is struggling, but they have a project. They have a project that is in reverse.